[668] Par. ii. 25-45.
[669] “The first star.”
[670] “The shadow which is in her is nothing but rare parts of her substance, which cannot stop the rays of the sun and reflect them back like the other parts.” Conv. II. xiv. 72-76.
[671] Plutarch, On the Face in the Moon, translation by Prickard.
[672] See Paget Toynbee, Le Teorie Dantesche sulle Macchie della Luna, in Giornale Storico della Letteratura Italiana, vol. xxvi. pp. 156-161.
[673] Albert of Saxony notes this objection, but says the rarity is not sufficiently great to make these parts transparent.
[674] This is in agreement with modern belief. Some parts of the moon’s surface reflect sunlight less well than others, and therefore look dark, just as a peaty soil looks darker than limestone.
[675] Conv. II. iv. 94-96.
[676] “That which was within the sun [sc. the spirits].” Par. x. 41.
[677] “In the depths of Mars.” Par. xiv. 100, 101.